Dear prayer partners,

This month’s prayer letter coincides with Israel’s autumn festivals: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. These are unique feasts that connect the people of Israel with the world’s nations in a unique way. The Feast of Tabernacles is a holiday that calls upon the nations of the world to come up to Jerusalem (cf. Zechariah 14:16).

God pronounces a special blessing on those nations which appear before the Lord to celebrate Sukkot. Their appearance can affect whether there will be rain in a nation or not. I do believe that this concerns not just physical rain, but also more importantly, spiritual rain. “Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness, (…)” (Isaiah 45:8). It is the former and latter rain of God’s Holy Spirit.

Therefore, this week it is most appropriate to pray for both Israel and for the nations. God has one great vision for the nations of the world. “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). This vision was what drove the early missionary push of the 17th and 18th centuries, and it is the fulfilment of Jesus’s view of the last days. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)

It is fascinating to see that the restoration of Israel over the past 100 years went hand in hand with an unprecedented spread of the gospel around the world and an exponential growth of the church around the world.

Both the great commandment of Jesus to disciple every nation (Matthew 24:28) and the restoration of Israel are the two great dynamics of the last days that should occupy all of us. Both need our prayer and both working fields still need more labourers in God’s vineyard.

We all are encouraged to pray with great faith as we know, that nothing can stop His purposes from being accomplished. So, please pray with us here in Jerusalem that His global purposes might be fulfilled both in Israel and the nations. “… Indeed I have spoken it; I will also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it.” (Isaiah 46:11)

So please pray with us in great expectation,

Yours in Christ

Jürgen Bühler

1.) Prayer for Israel

Government
Pray for wisdom and guidance for the government of Israel. Israel’s government is shaken by attacks from the press within Israel and faces challenges from without. Pray that God will lead his people in righteousness and wisdom.
Pray for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his entire cabinet.
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.” (Proverbs 21:1)
“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men …” (1 Timothy 2:1ff)

Aliyah
Pray for the ongoing wave of Aliyah from Ethiopia. Pray that this wave will bring the remaining Ethiopian Jews back to Israel.
Pray also for the ongoing Aliyah from Ukraine, Belarus, Russia and other former Soviet countries.
“Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, And gather you from the west; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the ends of the earth—” (Isaiah 43:5–6)
“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.” (Ezekiel 36:24)

Security
Just a few days ago, a deadly attack once more struck one of the settlements and left three young Israelis dead. Please pray for God’s protection over his people especially during the holydays, when thousands of both Jewish and Christian Pilgrims come from all around the world to Israel.
“For I,” says the LORD, “will be a wall of fire all around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.” (Zechariah 2:5)
“No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.” (Isaiah 54:17)

2.) Prayer for the nations

Middle East
Pray for the Nations around Israel. Pray for Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. In particular pray for Syria and Iraq, because these are two nations that are severely shaken by radical Islam.
Pray for the churches in those countries. While we hear troubling news from these countries, we also hear more and more reports of people coming to faith in Jesus Christ.
“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”” (Isaiah 19:23–25)

Africa
Pray for the nation of Nigeria, where the Church has been facing severe persecution and disturbing atrocities have been taking place. Initiatives at the government level are being taken to meet with Christian leaders, but it remains unknown whether the government will take effective action to bring perpetrators to justice and prevent future outbreaks of violence. Stand with our Nigerian brothers and sisters as they pray for their nation not to be torn apart.
“Hear my cry, O God; Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, A strong tower from the enemy.” (Psalm 61:1-3)

Kurdistan
One of the few people groups in the region that is very friendly towards Israel are the Kurdish people. Today there are some 200,000 Kurdish Jews living in Israel who have a 2,700- year-old friendly tradition with the Kurds. The Kurdish people trace their history back to the biblical people of the Medes.
Just a few days ago, there was a referendum that demonstrated their deep desire for independence.
Pray against military action from Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and the Regime of Syria.
Pray for all the Christian relief workers, house of prayer workers, & church planters to be unified.
“And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;” (Acts 17:26–27)

Unreached people groups
According to “Operation World,” the ten nations least reached with the Gospel of Jesus Christ are: Yemen, Afghanistan, Turkey, Tunisia, San Marino, Morocco, Turkmenistan, Somalia, Montenegro and Bosnia.
Please pray that God would send workers into his vineyard and that the Holy Spirit would move upon these nations.
“Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, pray the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into His harvest.”” (Matthew 9:37–38)
“For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.” (Habakkuk 2:14)
“Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end.” (Isaiah 9:7)

3.) Prayer for ICEJ

Feast of Tabernacles
Again this year, we expect some 5,000 pilgrims to join us to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles with us in Jerusalem.
Please pray that their appearance will bring blessing to their country.
Pray that those who come will experience a genuine touch of God regarding any problem they might bring to Jerusalem. Please pray for a strong presence of God’s Spirit in all meetings throughout the Feast.
Pray that the Jerusalem march will again be of great comfort to the citizens of Jerusalem.
“Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities; The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, “Let us continue to go and pray before the LORD, And seek the LORD of hosts. I myself will go also.” Yes, many peoples and strong nations Shall come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem, And to pray before the LORD.’” (Zechariah 8:20–22)
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain.” (Zechariah 14:16–17)

Social outreach
Many times we have to decline the requests of those needing help and assistance. Please pray with us for the financial and material means to assist the needy people in Israel.
Pray that we will experience continued growth in our various activities for Aliyah, Holocaust survivors, minorities, etc.
Pray for our Aid Team and Aliyah department that are led by Nicole Yoder and Howard Flowers.
“For the poor will never cease from the land; therefore I command you, saying, ‘You shall open your hand wide to your brother, to your poor and your needy, in your land.’” (Deuteronomy 15:11)
“He who has pity on the poor lends to the LORD, And He will pay back what he has given.” (Proverbs 19:17)

ICEJ Staff
Please pray for our staff and leaders here in Israel. Pray for our staff in our branches in over 90 nations. Pray for open doors as we work tirelessly around the world to connect the church with Israel, fight anti-Semitism, comfort the Jewish people, file financial reports, paint apartments and so much more. They are your ambassadors in Israel and around the world.
“… meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains,” (Colossians 4:3)
“Brethren, pray for us.” (1 Thessalonians 5:25)
“Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,” (2 Thessalonians 3:1)